One9 Project, 19 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds

One9 Project, 19 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds

by Sarah Backhouse

As Australian cities contend with an increased need for densification, urban infill projects can face many obstacles, in particular the period of disruption during a typically drawn out construction process with its associated dust and noise. The recent installation of the One9 project in Hall Street, Moonee Ponds, challenges all that.

Lead contactor Vaughan Constructions commenced site works in late May with the creation of a 2 level basement car park, and construction of the 10 storey lift core. Concurrently, fabrication of the modular units took place in Hickory’s Melbourne manufacturing facility, culminating with a five day site assembly process in mid-November. The result is a ground floor retail unit and another 9 storeys comprising 34 apartments. Final finishing works are underway, with residents to move in first thing in the New Year.

The project has been the talk of the local community, understandably as it is located in the heart of the Moonee Ponds retail precinct. Local retailers have commented how easy the whole process has been for them, with minimal disruption. The street closure to allow for craning of the modules over the 5 days also provided a zone that allowed on-lookers to safely gather and watch the whole process from the comfort of coffee shops and wine bars.

One local resident commented “If this is the future of construction, then this is seriously exciting!”